Fans have rushed to the defence of Princess of Wales Kate Middleton as trolls criticised a 'terrible' photo of her from Remembrance Sunday (12 November).
The 41-year-old Duchess of Cambridge looked appropriately solemn as she lay wreaths as a token of gratitude to British soldiers lost in battle.
To anyone else, she looked like the perfect picture of elegance and grace, but to some she didn’t look young enough.
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British Vogue went on to post an image of the day to its Instagram account with the caption: “The #PrincessOfWales joined the Queen on the balcony overlooking the Cenotaph this morning as senior members of the Royal Family laid wreaths to mark Remembrance Sunday.
"The Princess wore a silver brooch which she was awarded when she became Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm earlier this year.”
The image has been considered unflattering to some users, but fans pointed out it shows the Princess to have aged like a normal human being.
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During a slew of comments about her face and how she looked ‘tired and fed up’, many were quick to come to her defence.
There were a lot of people who wanted to point out that Middleton looked sombre due to the event, and that it wouldn’t have been appropriate to showcase herself smiling on Remembrance Sunday.
One commenter hit back at trolls, stating: “She looks like a pretty woman in her 40s without a ton of Botox and fillers! This is normal aging!”
Another wanted to remind people that her age isn’t ancient: “40 is not that old. This is obviously stress showing on her face.”
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Someone else made a great point about the double-standards of beauty: “If this was a man her age, no one would be commenting on how 'old' he looks. Gosh I hate it here.”
One person was baffled by the hate: “She looks beautiful. She shows the appropriate emotion for the occasion.
"It’s a somber day and you can see she has empathy, warmth and goodness in her. It’s why ppl adore her.
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"She’s a good woman. Why the negative comments is beyond me.”
In the end, there were a lot of brilliant points made in the comment section about the ever-debated issue surrounding men and women in the media.
A commenter wrote: “Every time a woman over 40 is posted here, everyone moans about them looking old or ugly. This is what women look like.
"The age they are supposed to look without ridiculous procedures and filters. Stop adding to the problem.”
Topics: Royal Family, Beauty, News, Instagram, Social media
Britt Jones